etymology

word origins i found interesting

Index

  1. Noida and Okhla
  2. Anaphora
  3. Serendipity
  4. Argentum and its Sanskrit Roots
  5. Bangaladumpa
  6. Falsafa and Philosophia
  7. French -ette Words
  8. Prapanch
  9. Pronouncing French Words like Bhojpuri
  10. Mosquito and Makkhi
  11. Metric System Prefixes
  12. Shampoo and Champee
  13. Varanasi, Benaras, and Banaras
  14. Ephemeral
  15. Calendar Months
  16. Vulgar
  17. Romance Languages
  18. Chiniya and Badam
  19. Gandhraj and Raatrani
  20. Rickshaw
  21. Ghoti
  22. Samosa
  23. Aftab and Mahtab
  24. Mensuration and Menstruation
  25. Eros and Related Words
  26. Fax, Similie, Verisimilitude and Related Words
  27. Vernalagnia and Related Words
  28. Juggernaut
  29. Chancellor and French-origin Words
  30. Anushthaan
  31. Mummy
  32. Stiletto
  33. Chintz and Calico
  34. Bandana
  35. Kangaroo
  36. Sambhar
  37. Lesbian and Greece
  38. Firdaus and Paradise
  39. Zeitgeist and Poltergeist
  40. Orange
  41. Gerika

Noida and Okhla

NOIDA is an abbreviation of "New Okhla Industrial Development Authority." Funnily, OKHLA stands for "Old Canal Housing and Land Authority," where the "C" was replaced with "K" probably to make it easier to pronounce. The upcoming "New Noida" hence expands to "New New Old Canal Housing and Land Authority Industrial Development Authority,"

References:

Anaphora

The term "anaphora" is a rhetorical device that involves the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences. It comes from Ancient Greek anaphorá (ἀναφορά) meaning "a carrying back", a conjugation of aná (ἀνά) meaning "up" + phérō (φέρω) meaning "I carry".

In a simple sense, anaphora is a rhetorical device in which multiple phrases or verses start with the same word or words. For example, when Julius Caesar says "I came, I saw, I conquered", he is using anaphora by repeating "I" at the beginning of each clause. When Winston Churchill gave a speech to the House of Commons and said "We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air", he is using anaphora by repeating "we shall fight" at the beginning of each clause.

TODO: Add a note about other "phor" words

References:

Serendipity

The word serendipity means "a combination of events which have come together by chance to make a surprisingly good or wonderful outcome". It was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754, inspired by a Persian fairy tale, "The Three Princes of Serendip." Serendip is an old name for Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). In the tale, the princes were always making discoveries by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of. Horace liked the concept and used it in a letter to describe an amazing discovery as being "of that kind which I call Serendipity".

The Three Princes of Serendip

The Three Princes of Serendip | Source: Goodreads

References:

Argentum and its Sanskrit Roots

'Argentum', the Latin word for Silver (from which the chemical symbol for silver, 'Ag' also originates) is derived from Proto-Indo-European word root *h₂erǵ-, which used to mean 'shiny' or 'white'. This same root also gives rise to 'रजत' (rajat), the Sanskrit word for Silver.

Meanwhile 'चांदी' (chaandee), the Hindi word for the same is derived from the Prakrit word 'चन्दि' (chandi), which in turn was derived from the Sanskrit 'चन्द्र' (chandra), meaning 'moon', denoting the silvery-white appearance of the moon.

References:

Bangaladumpa

The Telugu word for potato is "bangaladumpa". This name is very fascinating because why would anybody name it "bangala" (named after the state of Bengal), and 'dumpa' (which in Telugu means a "tuber"). This interestingly hints at the possible trade routers between the two regions with the travelling from Bengal down south to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Fun fact: Potatoes became a part of Indian diet because Mr. Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, discovered the sea route to India and brought potatoes with him. The Portuguese had potatoes in their food because several years ago the Spanish invaded potato farms in South America (where the potatoes were actually indigenous to) and brought them to Europe.

Rataloo

Rataloo | Source: Kapwa Gardens

Another interesting term related to potatoes is "rataloo". Rataloo is used in some parts of India to refer to the purple yam or sweet potato. The "rakt" in "raktaloo" means "blood" in Hindi, and "aloo" means "potato". It is called so because of its deep reddish-purple colour. In Philippine, rataloo is called "ube" and is used to make ube halaya (Purple Yam Jam), a popular Filipino dessert and halo-halo, a popular Filipino shaved ice dessert.

Halo-Halo

Halo-Halo | Source: Wikipedia

References:

Falsafa and Philosophia

The Arabic word "falsafa" which means philosophy is borrowed from the Greek word "philosophia" meaning the same thing. Infact, the word was "calqued" from Greek into Arabic which means that it was borrowed as it is with some minor modifications to fit the phonetic and grammatical context of the Arabic language.

References:

French -ette Words

The suffix "-ette" of French origin is often added to words to denote a smaller version of something. It is sometimesalso used to form feminine nouns. Some examples include:

  • Cigarro + -ette -> cigarette (a small cigar)
  • Case + -ette -> casette (literally a small case)
  • Bra + (l) + -ette -> bralette (a smaller, lighter version of a bra)
  • Brun + -ette -> brunette (a small brown person, usually used to refer to a woman with brown hair)

The word "etiquette" follows a similar rule and traces its origin to the French court of Louis XIV at Versailles, where "étiquettes" (literally "little cards") were used to remind courtiers to keep off the grass and follow other rules. From here, the term came to its modern meaning of "the rules of polite and correct behavior". It originally comes from the Old French word "estequier" which means "to stick/attach". This evolved into "estiquette" in Middle French, referring to a small note or ticket which further influenced the modern French term "étiquettes".

However, the word "omelette" is an exception to this rule and has its origins in the Latin word "lamella," meaning "a thin plate," which by the way also gives rise to the word "laminate." "lamella" evolved into "le lemelle" in French, then to "alemelle", "alemette," and finally "omelette."

References:

Prapanch

The Hindi word प्रपंच (Prapanch) comes from Sanskrit and historically, it has been used to refer to the world or the universe. Literally, it means "five elements", the same five elements — earth (pritvi), water (jala), fire (tejas), wind (vayu) and space (akasha) — that Hinduism considers the basis of all cosmic creation. Interestingly, the present meaning of prapanch has evolved over time and it has come to mean "scam". This semantic shift likely stems from the use of prapanch (most famously by Tulsidas in his works) to mean earthly/worldly pleasures and hence by extension, the activities people do to attain them, such as by scamming others.

References:

Pronouncing French Words like Bhojpuri

Repertoire (रेपटवा), boudoir (बूद्ध्वा), memoire (मेमवा), abattoir (अबत्ट्वा) and reservoire (रेसर्वा) are French words borrowed into English that end with -oire or -oir. These words are very easy to pronounce like a true Frenchperson if you start to think of them like Bhojpuri words such as बबुआ, रमुा, or बलमवा.

References:

Mosquito and Makkhi

The word "mosquito" comes to the English language via Spanish. It stems from the word root "mosca," which means a "fly" Adding an "-ito" to a Spanish word forms a diminutive (smaller version of something), so a mosquito is literally a small fly in Spanish.

BTW, the suffix "-ito" is usually used for male words. The female version of the same suffix is "-ita" such as in "poquita" or "mamita".

The word root "mosca", which means a "fly", is related to the Sanskrit word "maksa-", which gives the Sanskrit word for a fly, "makshika" (मक्खिका), leading to the Hindi "makkhi".

References:

Metric System Prefixes

It is fascinatng how the metric system borrows from both Latin and Greek to create its prefixes. The smaller fractions come from Latin - "mili" (1/1000), "centi" (1/100), and "deci" (1/10), while the multipliers come from Greek - "deca" (10), "hecto" (100), and "kilo" (1000).

The "k" that you hear in "100k", is the same Greek-origin "kilo" meaning thousands, however when we say "million", "billion", or "trillion", that becomes Latin. "Million" comse from the Italian word "milione" which further comes from the Latin word "mille" meaning thousand. "mille" combined with Latin prefixes "bi-" (two) and "tri-" (three) give us billion and trillion respectively.

References:

TODO:

  • Etymonline entry for metric prefixes
  • History of the metric system
  • Latin numerical prefixes
  • Greek numerical prefixes
  • History of monetary terminology

Shampoo and Champee

The English word "shampoo" comes from Hindi "champee" (चंपी), which means to press or massage. This linguistic journey from India to England happened during the colonial period when the British were introduced to the practice of head massage and cleaning. What started as a description of the act of massaging became associated with the product used during the process.

References:

TODO:

  • Etymonline entry for shampoo
  • Wiktionary entry for champi
  • History of hygiene in colonial India
  • Evolution of hair care practices
  • Cultural exchange in British India

Varanasi, Benaras, and Banaras

The name "Varanasi" has a beautifully simple origin - it comes from two rivers, Varuna and Assi, that define the ancient city's boundaries. During the Mughal and British periods, the name evolved into "Benaras" and "Banaras".
While there are many stories about how these names came to be, sometimes the simplest explanation is the best one (thank you, Occam's Razor!). The two-rivers explanation wins out for its straightforward logic - the city lies between the Varuna and Assi rivers, so Varanasi it is!

References:

TODO:

  • Historical maps of Varanasi
  • Etymology of Indian city names
  • River systems of ancient India
  • Mughal period place names
  • British colonial records of Indian cities
  • Ancient texts mentioning Varanasi
  • Historical urban development in India
  • Evolution of city names in Indian history

Ephemeral

The word 'ephemeral' has a poetic origin story. It comes from Greek 'ephēmeros', breaking down into 'epi' (on/upon) and 'hemera' (day). In Greek mythology, Hemera wasn't just any deity - she was the daughter of Erebus (darkness) and Nyx (night), and sister to Aether (bright upper sky).

Originally meaning something that lasts for just a day, the word has evolved to describe anything fleeting or transitory. From plants that bloom for a single day to modern-day social media stories that vanish after 24 hours.

References:

TODO:

  • Etymonline entry for ephemeral
  • Greek mythology database
  • Ancient Greek dictionary
  • Temporal words in different cultures
  • Modern usage examples

Calendar Months

Ever wondered why September (our 9th month) has 'sept' (seven) in it? The answer lies in the original Roman calendar, which had only 10 months and started in March. This explains why September (7th), October ('octo' = 8), November ('novem' = 9), and December ('dec' = 10) seem to be numbered incorrectly - they were pushed back when January and February were added later!

References:

TODO:

  • Roman calendar history
  • Etymology of month names
  • Julian calendar reforms
  • Ancient Roman time-keeping
  • Number words in Latin

Vulgar

'vulgar' comes from Latin 'vulgaris', simply meaning 'of the common people'. Over time, due to classist attitudes, being 'common' became associated with being crude or offensive.

We can see this original meaning preserved in the term 'Vulgar Latin' - the everyday Latin spoken by common people, as opposed to the fancy Classical Latin used in formal settings. It's essentially the "street Latin" of its time!

References:

TODO:

  • Etymonline entry for vulgar
  • History of Latin language variants
  • Social class terminology
  • Evolution of pejorative terms
  • Classical vs Vulgar Latin comparison

Romance Languages

Romance languages aren't called that because they're romantic! The name simply comes from their origin in Rome. These languages evolved from Vulgar Latin spoken throughout the Roman Empire.

References:

TODO:

  • History of Romance languages
  • Latin language evolution
  • Roman Empire linguistics
  • Etymology of 'Romance'
  • Comparative Romance linguistics

Chiniya and Badam

In Hindi, "chiniya" is used as a prefix to denote smaller versions of things - like "chiniya kela" for small bananas. What's fascinating is that this word comes from a Dravidian root "cinnā" meaning small or young.

While "badam" typically means almonds in Hindi, in some East Indian regions, "chiniya badam" (and sometimes just "badam") refers to peanuts! This is why in the viral "kacha badam" meme, the seller was actually advertising raw peanuts, not almonds.

References:

Gandhraj and Raatrani

I love how poetic Indian flower names can be! "Gandhraj" combines "gandh" (fragrance) and "raj" (king) to mean "king of fragrance" - a perfectly apt name for the sweetly scented "Gardenia" or "Cape Jasmine", which goes by "Gardenia jasminoides" in botanical terms.

Similarly, "Raatrani" combines "raat" (night) and "rani" (queen) to mean "queen of the night" - describing the night-blooming jasmine, "Cestrum nocturnum".

Love how both of these sweet-scented flowers haev such regal names!

References:

TODO:

  • Indian flower nomenclature
  • Historical botany terms
  • Sanskrit plant names
  • Flora of India database
  • Cultural significance of flowers

Rickshaw

The word "rickshaw" has a fascinating etymology that takes us to Japan. It comes from "jinrikisha" - a compound of "jin" (man), "riki" (power), and "sha" (vehicle). Quite literally, it means "human-powered vehicle"!

Remember the WWE wrestler "Rikishi"? His name comes from the same "riki" which is in rickshaw for "power".

References:

TODO:

  • Japanese transport terminology
  • Etymology of vehicle names
  • Cultural exchange in Asia
  • History of rickshaws
  • Japanese compound words

Ghoti

Here's a delightfully clever way to show how wonderfully weird English spelling can be. The word "ghoti" could theoretically be pronounced as "fish" if you use:

  • 'gh' as in "enough" (making an 'f' sound)
  • 'o' as in "women" (making an 'i' sound)
  • 'ti' as in "nation" (making a 'sh' sound)

References:

TODO:

  • English orthography history
  • Spelling reform movements
  • Phonetic irregularities
  • English pronunciation patterns
  • Language learning challenges

Samosa

The journey of the word "samosa" is as interesting as the snack itself! It comes from Persian "sanbosag" - originally describing a meat-filled triangular pastry. Going further back, it connects to the Central Asian "samsa".

References:

TODO:

  • Food etymology database
  • Silk Road culinary exchanges
  • Persian food terminology
  • Indian food history
  • Cultural adaptation of foods

Aftab and Mahtab

Here's a beautiful pair of words that capture the celestial dance of day and night. आफ़ताब (Aftab) meaning 'sun' comes from Persian and literally translates to 'sun's heat'. What's fascinating is that it traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root (*tep-) that also gives us the Hindi word ताप (tap) meaning 'heat'!

Its counterpart महताब (Mahtab) meaning 'moon' or 'moonshine' has मह- (meh) signifying the moon. This root appears in words for 'moon' and 'month' across languages like Hindi, Old English, German, Persian, and French - all stemming from the same Proto-Indo-European root *méh₁n̥ss.

These words come together beautifully in Mohammed Rafi's "Chaudahvin ka Chand":

चौदवीं का चाँद हो, या आफ़ताब हो?

जो भी हो तुम खुदा की कसम, लाजवाब हो

References:

TODO:

  • Proto-Indo-European dictionary
  • Persian astronomical terms
  • Hindi-Persian loanwords
  • Moon-related etymology
  • Classical Urdu poetry

Mensuration and Menstruation

At first glance, these words might seem unrelated, but they share a fascinating connection to measurement and the moon! Both trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root *meh₁- (to measure). 'Mensuration' directly relates to measuring, while 'menstruation' connects to the moon's monthly cycle.

References:

TODO:

  • Time measurement history
  • Lunar calendar systems
  • Medical terminology origins
  • Latin measurement words
  • Ancient timekeeping methods

The ancient Greeks had ἔρως (érōs) for physical love, which gives us words like 'erotic' and 'erogenous'. But here's where it gets interesting - the related ancient Greek word ἔραμαι (éramai) comes from a PIE root *h₁rem- meaning "to rest", which is also the source of Sanskrit रमते (ramate) meaning "to delight/enjoy/rest/play"!

We can still see this connection in modern Gujarati रमवूँ (ramvu) meaning "to play".

References:

TODO:

  • Ancient Greek love terminology
  • Sanskrit verb roots
  • Indo-European word origins
  • Evolution of love-related words
  • Gujarati etymology database

Ever wondered why we call it a 'fax'? It's short for 'facsimile' - 'fac' (to make) + 'simile' (similar). It literally means "to make similar" - which is exactly what a fax machine does!

The 'similis' root gives us many words about similarity and resemblance - from 'simulation' to 'simultaneous'. When combined with 'verus' (truth), we get 'verisimilitude' - the appearance of truth. Harry Potter fans might recognize this truth connection in "Veritaserum", the truth potion!

References:

TODO:

  • Latin word formations
  • History of communication technology
  • Truth-related etymology
  • Harry Potter linguistic influences
  • Business terminology evolution

'vernalagnia' means "a romantic mood brought about by spring"! It combines 'vernal' (from Latin 'ver' meaning spring) and '-lagnia' (from Greek, meaning desire).

The spring connection goes deep - the PIE root *wesr- gives us Sanskrit वसन्त (vasanta) and Persian बहार (bahaar). So next time spring fever hits, you can blame it on your vernalagnia!

References:

TODO:

  • Seasonal terminology
  • Psychological term origins
  • Sanskrit season words
  • Persian seasonal vocabulary
  • Compound word formation

Juggernaut

Here's a word with a fascinating journey - 'juggernaut' comes from Sanskrit जगन्नाथ (jagannātha) meaning "lord of the universe", a name for Krishna. The English meaning of "unstoppable force" comes from the massive chariots used in Ratha Yatra festivals, which were so huge and heavy that once they started moving, they were hard to control!

References:

TODO:

  • Hindu festival terminology
  • Sanskrit religious vocabulary
  • Cultural metaphor evolution
  • British colonial language
  • Religious term adaptations

Chancellor and French-origin Words

The "ch" in many French words is pronounced as "sh". An exception might be 'chancellor' which although comes from French, does not has the 'ch' being pronounced as 'sh' - probably because it's been too anglicized over time. Better examples would be 'chandelier', 'chauffeur', and 'chateau'.

This "sh" pronunciation happens becaise the pronounciation of borrowed words often depends on when they entered the language. Newer foreign words tend to retain their original pronunciation, while older borrowings are more likely to be adapted to fit English phonetic patterns.

An interesting example is 'Paris'. The French pronounce it as "paariii", while English speakers pronounce it as it's written. This illustrates how the pronunciation of place names can vary between languages.

References:

TODO:

  • French loanwords in English
  • Phonetic adaptation patterns
  • Place name pronunciations
  • Historical sound changes
  • French-English language contact

Anushthaan

Bengali still commonly uses অনুষ্ঠান (anushthaan) for ceremonies, while Hindi prefers words like उत्सव (utsav), जश्न (jashn), or कार्यक्रम (karyakram). There are several such instances when while Hindi lost popular useage of a Sanskrit word, other Indian languages that were derived from Sanskrit—like Bengali, Gujarati, or Marathi—still use it.

References:

TODO:

  • Bengali vocabulary origins
  • Sanskrit religious terms
  • Modern Indian languages
  • Cultural terminology
  • Religious ceremony vocabulary

Mummy

The word "mummy" for preserved bodies has nothing to do with calling our mothers "mummy"! It comes from Persian/Arabic mūmiya/mūm, meaning wax or asphalt. These materials were used in the preservation process, so the preserved bodies came to be known by the same name.

References:

TODO:

  • Ancient preservation methods
  • Persian-English loanwords
  • Archaeological terminology
  • Parent-related vocabulary
  • Cross-cultural preservation terms

Stiletto

"Stiletto" literally means "dagger" in Italian! The shoe style got this name because of its long, thin, knife-like heel. Next time someone compliments your stilettos, you can tell them you're literally walking on daggers!

References:

TODO:

  • Italian fashion terminology
  • Shoe design history
  • Weapon-related vocabulary
  • Fashion etymology database
  • Italian-English loanwords

Chintz and Calico

The fabric "Chintz" comes from Hindi छींट (cheent) meaning "spotted" or "sprayed", referring to its distinctive printed patterns.

Meanwhile, "calico" takes its name from Calicut (modern-day Kozhikode) in Kerala, where this type of textile originated. It's like wearing a piece of Indian textile history!

References:

TODO:

  • Indian textile history
  • Colonial trade terms
  • Fabric terminology origins
  • Kerala trading history
  • Historical textile patterns

Bandana

Speaking of Indian textile terms, "bandana" comes from Hindi बांधनी (bandhani), a type of tie-dye textile. The word literally connects to the process of tying and dyeing.
References:

TODO:

  • Indian dyeing techniques
  • Textile terminology
  • Cultural fashion terms
  • Traditional craft vocabulary
  • Color and pattern words

Kangaroo

There's an amusing (but false) story about how "kangaroo" meant "I don't understand" in an indigenous Australian language, and that's what natives told British explorers when asked what the animal was called. While this etymology isn't true, it's a great reminder to always fact-check those too-good-to-be-true etymology stories!

References:

TODO:

  • Australian aboriginal languages
  • Animal name origins
  • Colonial language contact
  • Etymology myths
  • Australian fauna terminology

Sambhar

The South Indian dish sambhar might actually have Marathi origins! One story suggests it was invented by Sambhaji (Shivaji's son) while in Thanjavur. The name could be a blend of "Sambha" (short for Sambhaji) and "ahar" (food).

It's a delicious example of how food and language often cross cultural boundaries!

References:

TODO:

  • Indian culinary history
  • Regional food origins
  • Marathi-Tamil connections
  • Historical recipe evolution
  • Royal cuisine influences

Lesbian and Greece

Did you know that "lesbian" literally means "of Lesbos", just like "American" means "of America"? Around 630-570 BC, a poet named Sappho lived on this Greek island and wrote famously erotic poetry about love between women. The term "lesbian" only became associated with female homosexuality in the late 1800s!

A sand consequence of this it that the wine from Lesbos, famous since Homer's time, can no longer be marketed as "Lesbian wine" without causing confusion.

References:

TODO:

  • Ancient Greek literature
  • Sappho's poetry
  • Greek island history
  • Word meaning evolution
  • Historical LGBT terminology

Firdaus and Paradise

The Urdu word "firdaus" and English "paradise" are actually linguistic cousins and mean the same thing! Both trace back to ancient Greek "parádeisos".

References:

TODO:

  • Paradise-related etymology
  • Greek-Persian connections
  • Religious terminology
  • Cross-language cognates
  • Ancient word migrations

Zeitgeist and Poltergeist

German gives us two interesting "ghost" words! "Zeitgeist" combines "Zeit" (time) and "Geist" (spirit) to mean the spirit of the times. "Poltergeist" combines "poltern" (to rumble) and "Geist" for a noisy ghost.

Both use "Geist", which is related to English "ghost" - a spooky family resemblance between languages!

References:

TODO:

  • German compound words
  • Ghost-related vocabulary
  • Germanic language connections
  • Cultural concept terms
  • Supernatural terminology

Orange

The word "orange" started from a Dravidian root "naram", entered Sanskrit as "narangi", then traveled through Persian, Arabic, and various European languages before becoming our familiar "orange".

References:

TODO:

  • Color word origins
  • Fruit terminology
  • Indo-European word paths
  • Language contact routes
  • Cross-cultural trade terms

Gerika

Gerika, a reddish soil rich in Iron Oxide, gets its name from the Sanskrit word for hematite. It played an important role in Ayurvedic medicine and alchemy - the 13th-century text Rasaprakāshasudhākara lists गेरिक (gerika) as one of eight crucial alchemical minerals.

References:

TODO:

  • Ayurvedic terminology
  • Ancient Indian alchemy
  • Mineral nomenclature
  • Sanskrit scientific terms
  • Historical medical texts

p.s.: dhruv from logophilia was the one who taught me to look at the world through these wonderful lenses of etymology and ever since then, nothing looked the same. thank you dhruv (not sponsored, just an appreciation from a grateful student).